‘As We Are’
Dave Stryker (Strikezone)

You would think that “River Man,” the third track on guitarist Dave Stryker’s excellent new album, “As We Are,” would put one in mind of Nick Drake, the immensely talented British singer-songwriter who wrote the song at the age of 22, four years before committing suicide. Indeed, it does, but playing the track repeatedly and hearing Mr. Stryker and his “double quartet” ensemble (guitar and rhythm section plus four strings) perform the arrangement live at Birdland also makes me think of Wes Montgomery.  

Not that Mr. Stryker plays anything like that late colossus, but the overall concept is somewhat similar: a jazz guitar virtuoso playing a familiar popular song over a string orchestra background. While a few purists at the time decried Montgomery’s albums as commercial compromise, the better tracks — like his playing “Here’s That Rainy Day” — amounted to some of the best jazz of the 1960s. 

Likewise, Mr. Stryker’s reading of “River Man” is anything but a “cover” — a term that I inveigh against in general. It’s a legitimate interpretation, worthy of our consideration much like Montgomery interpreting Jimmy Van Heusen. 

After a somewhat Stravinskian introduction, with unfocused, unconnected sounds coming from several directions, we hear Mr. Stryker state the basic kernel of Drake’s melody, as simple and as rubato as he can. After eight bars or so, we hear the rhythm section, pianist Julian Shore, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade, and then the ensemble shifts into tempo: 5/4 time, specifically. For the first chorus, Mr. Stryker does follow the general pattern of Drake on his 1970 recording, sticking to mid-range and mid-tempo. It’s not a coincidence that Drake’s “River Man” also used a string section.

Yet as clean and uncluttered as the melodic line is, there’s a lot going on here. Drake and his orchestrator, Harry Robertson, were consciously echoing Frederick Delius, the great British symphonic composer who frequently incorporated aspects of British folk music into his work. “River Man” is perhaps the only song of Drake’s that has become part of the jazz lexicon, most notably in multiple recordings by pianist Brad Mehldau, as well as by singer-pianist Andy Bey.  

Mr. Stryker and his composing partner, Mr. Shore, acknowledge the song’s origins as a classical-folk hybrid, and now add a jazz component. Their statement of the melody, for roughly three minutes, is virtually a complete track unto itself, and we might think of this as dealing with the past of the song — its history up until now. The second half is mostly improvisations, and could easily be the second side of a 78 or 45 RPM single. There are solos not only by Mr. Stryker, but by the lead violinist and concertmaster, Sara Caswell.  

In between tunes during the Saturday show at Birdland, Mr. Stryker spoke about how it had long been a dream project to team up with Mr. Shore, who orchestrated Mr. Stryker’s original compositions for this unique ensemble. Mr. Shore also composed one work of his own, titled, perhaps appropriately, “One Thing At a Time,” which is an homage to Wayne Shorter, also appropriate in that Messrs. Pattitucci and Blade have been half of Wayne Shorter’s quartet for 20 years now. 

The nine tracks on the album begin with a brief overture that’s unusual for a jazz project, but sets up the affinity to musical theater and film — it’s kind of a main title theme. This leads eventually to the Brazilian-influenced “Saudade” and to “Dreams Are Real,” an especially cinematic composition that is almost like a miniature movie unto itself. Taking the title literally, it starts with a few notes and the hint of a song, which gradually comes into focus and becomes a full-fledged melody with a full string background behind it.

Lest Mr. Stryker be accused of going too highbrow, he ends the album (as he did the Birdland set) with a full-on blues, titled “Soul Friend,” which, as Ted Panken points out in his helpful liner notes, draws on Mr. Stryker’s apprenticeship with soul jazz giants Jack McDuff and Stanley Turrentine.  Ms. Caswell also showcases her own blues chops, and Mr. Pattitucci solos soulfully over a backdrop of the string quartet playing pizzicato.

“Soul Friend” is a remarkable and unique performance, but I have a feeling that I’ll keep coming back to the Nick Drake song. As the lyric goes, “Going to see the River Man / Going to tell him all I can.” The title character is kind of a spirit guide to the river, leading us past islands, through rapids, taking us into deep waters and parts unknown. “If he tells me all he knows / About the way his river flows”: As the track nears its ending, we start to hear the familiar notes of the tune again, and it’s clear that the River Man is bringing us home.